Page 62 of Faking it with my Off Limits Neighbor

But as I scream to a halt directly across the street, I can’t even see any smoke.

“Where is it?” I demand.

But Milly doesn’t answer. She has already jumped out of the truck and started hurrying to the restaurant entrance.

Clambering out of the truck, I strain my neck as I look to the sky, but still, I can’t see anything.

“Where’s the smoke?” I call over the hood.

Milly doesn’t answer, and instead of asking again, I check the ring of keys in my hand. I’m searching for the restaurant key, but no matter how hard I look, I can’t find it. What the devil is going on?

I lift my head and call out to my sister. “Milly—”

But as I go to ask her if she’s seen the key, she pushes the restaurant door open and rushes inside.

What?

This isn’t making any sense. The restaurant should be locked. And where is my key? Seriously, am I in an episode of The Twilight Zone?

Still completely confused, I run across the street and follow her in. On top of wondering where my keys are and how the restaurant is open, my mind is also racing at the thought of how much damage I’m going to find.

I reach the door and slam it open with a flat palm, flying into the place in a panic. But I’m two steps inside when I suddenly come to a screeching halt.

“What the—?”

Milly is nowhere to be seen, but even if she were standing right beside me, I wouldn’t notice. I’m too mesmerized by the complete transformation of the dining area of my restaurant.

To begin with, there’s no smoke. I can’t see it, I can’t smell it—it’s just not there. What I can see are tables set with gleaming cutlery, shining glasses, spotless plates, and perfectly folded napkins, all laid on top of beautifully crisp white linen tablecloths.

The soft lighting from glowing bulbs fitted into the ceiling above is bright enough to see but dim enough to create an atmosphere. There are also circular curtain poles bolted into the ceiling at different intervals, each holding a flowing piece of emerald green chiffon that separates sections of the room while enabling one to see through it.

The walls are painted, and the wall art is positioned perfectly. In the center of the feature wall, a huge, scrolling piece of art featuring the name of the restaurant gleams with striking chrome and silver. The whole place is stunning. Perfectly stunning.

At this point, I’m breathless and completely stunned. And then, as I lower my eyes again to take in the scene, I see Charlie sitting at a corner table, watching me. Behind me, I hear the restaurant door open, but when I spin around, all I can see is Milly darting outside.

And then, everything becomes crystal clear.

Milly hadn’t wanted me to go away with her because she wanted to spend time with me. Well, maybe she did, but it certainly wasn’t the main reason. She and Charlie have been in cahoots. That explains why my key is missing.

Slowly, I move across the dining area of my dreams and come to a stop at the table where Charlie is seated.

“Did you do all this?” I ask, still completely blown away.

She shrugs, and a small smile creeps onto her mouth. “I had a little help.”

“I’ll bet you did,” I gasp. “But it was you, right? You made all of this happen?”

“Yes,” she says. “I made all of it happen.”

“May I sit?” I say, gesturing to the chair.

“It’s your restaurant, Troy.”

Charlie looks at me, but where I feel a mixture of overwhelm and delight, she looks worried, if not a little sad.

I sit down, not taking my eyes off her. “So, no fire?”

She smiles and shakes her head. “No fire. And for the record, that was Milly’s idea.”

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